Sewing machine center



A ril 15, 1969 A. WIKEY SEWING MACHINE CENTER Filed Jan. 22, 1968 INVENTOR ARNOLD WIKEY ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,438,687 SEWING MACHINE CENTER Arnold Wikey, M0 Newport Chicago, 11].

Filed Jan. 22, 1968, Ser. No. 699,563 Int. Cl. A47h 81/00, 88/00, 57/00 U.S. Cl. 312-21 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to sewing machine centers and, more particularly, to improved means for supporting sewing machines in such sewing machine centers.

in the days of the mechanical sewing machine, the home sewing machine was a large unit that set on the floor both when in use or when not in use. With the advent of the electrically driven sewing machine, the portable sewing machine became popular. The mechanical sewing machine was equipped with drawers and other storage space for keeping the equipment such as thread, needles, patterns, cloth, and such paraphernalia used in sewing. The portable electric sewing machines are not so equipped.

To overcome this deficiency, sewing centers have become popular. Sewing centers are pieces of furniture designed to store the sewing machine when not in use and to provide a working surface for the sewing machine when in use. The centers are also equipped with drawers for storing the paraphernalia used in the sewing operation.

In using the presently available sewing centers the housewife or any other operator of the machine has to lift the machine from the storage compartment to the working surface. When the operator is through sewing, the machine again has to be lifted to transfer it to the storage compartment. The necessity for lifting and transferring the machine is not only inconvenient, but also arduous.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide sewing centers equipped so that it is not necessary to lift the sewing machine to transfer it from the work area to the stoage compartment and vice-versa.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide sewing centers equipped with elevator platforms.

A related object of the invention is to provide sewing machine centers equipped with platforms that are attached to the centers using constant force springs for raising and lowering the platforms.

A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a sewing center equipped with drawers and a sewing machine storage compartment. In the compartment there is a horizontal shelf-like platform for holding the sewing machines. The platform is attached to the walls of the compartment using constant force springs. A portion of the top of the sewing center is hingedly attached thereto. The operator of the machine merely has to lift the hingedly attached portion of the sewing center, move the platform with the sewing machine thereon up to the operating position, lock it in place and proceed to sew.

The aforementioned and other objects and features of the invention will now be explained with the aid of the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of the improved sewing center made in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 pictorially shows the inventive sewing center in its operating condition;

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FIG. 3 is a front partial view of the inventive sewing machine center without front doors showing the elevator platform in different positions, and

FIG. 4 is a pictorial view of a constant force spring in a housing and equipped with an attaching bracket.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures and referring now to the figures the number 11 indicates the furniture cabinet that is commonly referred to as a sewing center. The cabinet is equipped with drawers, such as drawer 12 for storing needles, thread, cloth, patterns, and any other paraphernalia required by the operator of the sewing machine.

The storage compartment 13 is shown equipped with center opening doors 14, 16. The doors are capable of fully opening to enable the operator of a sewing machine to comfortably place their feet under the machine when using the sewing machine at the sewing center.

Means, such as a shelf-like elevator platform 17 is provided within the storage compartment 13. The sewing machine can be of the portable electric type such as sewing machine 18 shown in broken line form. Alternatively, the sewing machine could be permanently affixed to the shelf-like elevator platform 17 in any well-known manner.

Means, such as the constant force spring arrangement 19 shown in FIG. 4 are used to enable the shelf-like elevator platform even when equipped with a relatively heavy sewing machine to be raised and lowered with a minimum of eifort. FIG. 3 shows, in broken lines, the platform 17 at its storage position. The full line showing of the elevator platform in FIG. 3 shows the platform in a location between its storage position and its operating position. FIG. 2 shows the shelf-like elevator platform in its actual operating position.

Means are provided for covering the top of the storage compartment 13. More particularly, lid 21 is provided at the top of the cabinet 11. The lid 21 is attached to the cabinet with hinge 22. The lid 21, when open, provides a horizontal area which further increases the overall working area of the sewing center.

The lidded storage compartment section of the cabinet is shown recessed below the rest of the top of the cabinet. The top of the cabinet 11 is shown as a substantially L-shaped section 22. The long stem section of the L 23 is shown as an abutment behind the recessed lidded portion. The long stem of the L could also be a top shelf arrangement.

The recess is sufficiently deep so that when the shelflike elevator platform 17 is in the operating position, the top of the base of the sewing machine 18 is substantially level with the L-shaped top of the cabinet. Thus, the top 22 of the cabinet forms a large working area ideally suited for holding the material being sewed during the sewing operation. The large working area is supplemented by the area provided by the underside of lid 21 when it is in the operating position.

When the operator is finished sewing, the material and other paraphernalia can be conveniently stored in the drawers of the cabinet 11. The shelf-like platform 17 is unlocked. That is, a latching arrangement, not shown, is provided. The arrangement can be a bolt arrangement with the bolts attached to the bottom of the shelf, and arranged to fit into an aperture or recesses in the inside walls of the storage compartment. Any other locking arrangement well known to those skilled in the art could also be used. After simply unlocking the machine the operator merely applies a small force sufiicient to push the sewing machine to its storage position as shown in FIG. 3. The lid 21 is then closed to rest on a ledge or any protrudence (not shown) to assure that the lid stops in a horizontal position.

When putting the sewing machine into use, the operator opens lid 21 and applies the small force that is necessary to lift the platform with the sewing machine thereon until the machine is in its operating position. The platform is then locked, the necessary paraphernalia removed from the drawers, and the sewing operation commences.

Only small forces are required to raise and lower the sewing machine because the shelf-like elevator platform is counterbalanced. Weights or regular springs could be used within the scope of this invention. However, the preferred embodiment of the invention utilizes the constant force spring arrangement 19 to provide the desire counter balancing force.

The constant force spring arrangement 19 comprises the actual constant force wound flat spring 24 located in housing 26. The spring is wound about a threaded axle 27 that is held in place with nut, 28. A bracket 29 is connected to the end of the spring 24 by any well-known means such as rivets 31. The bracket is substantially hook shaped so that it can fit over the top of the wall 32 that defines the storage compartment 13. The other side wall 33 of storage compartment 13 may have a slot therethrough for receiving the bracket 29.

The housing 26 is substantially U-shaped, with flanges 34, 36 at the top of the legs of the U. The flanges have holes therein such as hole 37 to enable fastening means such as screw 38 to pass therethrough for fastening the spring housing 26 to the underside of platform 17. One spring arrangement 19 is shown attached to each side of the shelf-like elevator platform 17. The spring arrangements are attached at approximately the center of each side of the platform. The brackets are hooked onto the side walls of the storage compartment. When the platform 17 is in the storage position, the springs 24 are in their unwound position as shown in FIG. 3. When the platform 17 is in the operating position, then the springs 24 are in the wound condition.

Vertical rails may be used on the inside walls of the storage cabinet. However, because of the eificient operation only the simplest of guide rails, if any, are required.

From the above description it will be manifest that the inventive improvement is simple in construction, easy to manufacture and positive in operation. Although a specific construction and arrangement of parts constituting the invention has been shown, it must be recognized that many changes may be made without effecting its operativeness, and it is within the scope of the invention to make such changes as long as the changes are within the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent in the United States is:

1. An improved sewing machine center adapted for storing an operating sewing machine thereat, said center comprising a cabinet, a storage compartment within said cabinet, shelf-like elevator platform means for supporting the sewing machine, said platform means having a lowered position for storage of said sewing machine, and a raised position for the operation of said sewing machine, and constant force spring means for counterbalancing said platform means to enable the movement of said platform means between said raised and said lowered position using a constant force throughout the movement of said platform means wherein said constant force spring means comprises wound flat constant force spring,

housing means enclosing said constant force spring,

axle means for winding said constant force spring thereon coupled to said housing means,

wherein the distance between said platform and the walls of said storage compartment is less than any longitudinal dimension on said housing,

means for afiixing said housing to the bottom of said platform, and

means for coupling said constant force spring to the walls of said storage compartment to enable the top of said platform to be above the coupling means in the operating position.

2. An improved sewing machine center adapted for storing an operating-sewing machine thereat,

said center comprising a cabinet, a storage compartment within said cabinet, shelf-like elevator platform means for supporting the sewing machine,

said platform means having a lowered position for storage of said sewing machine, and

a raised position for the operation of said sewing ma chine,

wound fiat constant force spring means for counterbalancing said platform means to enable the movement of said platform means between said raised and lower position using a minimum force,

housing means enclosing said constant force spring,

axle means coupled to said housing means for winding said constant force spring thereon,

afiixing means for affixing said housing to said platform comprising holes in said housing means,

fastener means for passing through said holes and fixedly connecting said housing means to said platform means, and

coupling means comprising a hook-like bracket attached to the end of said constant force spring whereby said hook-like bracket hooks onto the walls of said storage compartment.

3. The improved sewing machine center of claim 2 wherein said constant force spring is substantially fully wound when said platform is in the operating position and is unwound when said platform is in said storage position.

4. The improved sewing machine center of claim 3 wherein said storage compartment has a hinged lid at the top thereof, and

said hinged lid providing additional work area when opened to enable said platform with the sewing machine thereon to be raised to the operating position.

5. The improved sewing machine center of claim 4 wherein the top of said storage compartment is recessed below the top of the rest of said cabinet whereby when said platform is in the operative position, the top of the base of said sewing machine is substantially flush with the top of the rest of the cabinet to provide a uniform working area.

6. The improved sewing machine center of claim 5 wherein said storage compartment has center opening double doors at the front thereof to provide access to the compartment.

7. The improved sewing machine center of claim 5 wherein said cabinet is provided with drawer means for storing the paraphernalia used in sewing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 778,390 12/1904 Wheeler 312-21 X 1,745,578 2/ 1930 Kreissig 16-197 2,323,107 6/1943 Wilson 312-312 X 2,445,394 7/1948 Giralt 312-312 X 2,882,111 4/1959 Jackson 312-21 X FOREIGN PATENTS 812,819 9/1951 Germany.

BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

JAMES L. KOHNEN, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 312-312 

